California State Bar Exam | Basic Information

The State Bar of California was formed in 1927. The California bar is a mandatory bar with over 250,000 members. The Bar distributes money for grants and legal aid, sending out over $78 million a year.

July 2018 (8,071 takers)

California State Bar Exam Format

What’s the format of the California Bar?

The bar exam is administered twice each year in California (in February and July). The examination is administered over two days in four, three-hour sessions. The California bar has three parts: the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE), the Essay questions, and the Performance Test (PT) questions.

California MBE Prep Course

Essay Questions

The Essay questions consists of five legal essay questions, each one hour in length. These questions test the ability to identify the important facts in a case and the points of law. Your essay score comprises 40% of your score. California bar exam essay topics may include the following: Business Associations, Civil Procedure, Conflict of Laws, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Family Law, Property, Secured Transactions, Torts, Trusts, Unincorporated Business Entities, Wills and Estates, etc.

These essay questions are similar to the MEE questions used in the UBE. This video provides general essay tips that will be useful on this essay portion.

Performance Test (PT)

The Performance Test (PT) consists of one 90-minute tasks where you analyze and apply laws to specific scenarios. You are provided with a library of legal authorities that you must sift through to find the most relevant documents. Your PT score comprises 10% of your score.

This test is similar to the MPT in the UBE. This video can provide similar tips on how to answer these questions.

What’s the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination?

The Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) tests your understanding of established standards of conduct for lawyers. In California, this test is required to practice, but can be taken anytime after the first year of law school. The MPRE is administered three times each year (in March, August, and November). The test consists of 60 multiple-choice questions and is two hours long. Check out this MPRE Tips video!

Upcoming Bar Exam Schedule, Dates, Location

Schedule

Morning

Afternoon

Day 1

3 Essays (3 hours)

2 Essays, 1 PT (3 hours)

Day 2

MBE (3 hours)

MBE (3 hours)

Dates

July 28-29, 2020

February 23-24, 2021

July 27-28, 2021

February 22-23, 2022

July 26-27, 2022

February 21-22, 2023

July 25-26, 2023

Location

The California Bar is administered at many locations across California including Los Angeles, Ontario, and Northern California/Oakland.

California Bar Exam Application

Are you interested in taking the California State bar exam? Here’s some basic information on applying to take the California bar exam.

If you want to take the bar exam in February, you should submit your bar exam application by November 1. You can submit your application from November 2-November 29 if you pay a $50 fee. You can submit your application from November 30-January 2 if you pay a $250 fee. January 2 is the final filing deadline.

If you want to take the bar exam in July, you should submit your bar exam application by April 1. You can submit your application from April 2-April 30 if you pay a $50 fee. You can submit your application from May 1-June 1 if you pay a $250 fee. June 1 is the final filing deadline.

In addition to passing the California bar exam with a score of at least 1440 out of 2000, there are several requirements that must be met in order to be admitted as an attorney in California, including:

Score 86 or higher on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) within the accepted time frame.

California Bar Exam Scores and Grading

A passing score in California is 1440/2000. Scores of the three tests are weighted as follows:

MBE = 50% of your total UBE score

PT = 10%

Essay Questions = 40%

*A passing score for the MPRE in California is 86/150.

California Bar Exam Results

Frequently Asked Questions

When are my California bar exam results released?

California bar exam results are usually posted eight to nine weeks after the exam date.

Can I see my California bar exam score?

If you failed the California bar, your exam packet will be mailed to you.

Can I appeal to have my California bar exam re-graded?

The essays will be re-graded if they are close to passing, but there is no final appeal after your results have been reported.

How many times can I take the bar exam in California?

There’s no limit to how many times you can retake the bar in California.

California Bar Exam Reciprocity

California has no reciprocity with any other state. Non-attorney applicants must take the California Bar Exam to join the bar. If an attorney from another state wants to join the California Bar, they can take the Attorney’s exam. This exam is only one day and does not include the MBE. To qualify for the Attorney’s exam, attorneys must have at least four years of active status.